@article {10475, title = {Introduction of Complementary Foods in a Cohort of Infants in Northeast Italy: Do Parents Comply with WHO Recommendations?}, journal = {Nutrients}, volume = {9}, year = {2017}, month = {2017 Jan 04}, abstract = {

Timing and type of complementary food in infancy affect nutritional status and health later in life. The objective of this paper was to assess complementary feeding practices, looking at timing, type, and compliance with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. Data were obtained from a birth cohort of 400 infants, enrolled in Trieste (Italy) between July 2007 and July 2008 and followed up for three years, using a "food introduction timing table". Five WHO recommendations standards were used to assess parental compliance and associated factors. Thirty seven percent of mothers returned the completed "timing table" up until the child was three years of age. Eighty six percent of infants were already receiving complementary foods at six months. The first food type to be introduced was fresh fruit (170 days from birth, median). Overall, infants shared a very similar diet, which was different from the family diet and characterized by delayed introduction of certain food types. Five percent of parents complied with either all five or only one of the WHO recommendations, 34\% with three, and 35\% with four. The parents{\textquoteright} partial compliance with WHO recommendations is probably due to conflicting information received from different sources. This advocates for national evidence-based guidelines, supported and promoted by health professionals.

}, keywords = {Adult, Cohort Studies, Dairy Products, Diet, Edible Grain, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Fruit, Humans, Infant, Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Italy, Logistic Models, Male, Mothers, Patient Compliance, Recommended Dietary Allowances, Socioeconomic Factors, Vegetables, World Health Organization}, issn = {2072-6643}, doi = {10.3390/nu9010034}, author = {Carletti, Claudia and Pani, Paola and Monasta, Lorenzo and Knowles, Alessandra and Cattaneo, Adriano} } @article {3640, title = {Advertisements of follow-on formula and their perception by pregnant women and mothers in Italy.}, journal = {Arch Dis Child}, volume = {100}, year = {2015}, month = {2015 Apr}, pages = {323-8}, abstract = {

OBJECTIVE: To assess how follow-on formula milks for infants aged 6-12 months are presented to and understood by mothers.

DESIGN: A quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study including (1) an analysis of advertisements in three magazines for parents; (2) in-depth semistructured qualitative interviews to pregnant women on their perception of two advertisements for follow-on formula and (3) self-administered questionnaires for mothers to explore their exposure to and perception of formula advertisements.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighty pregnant women 32-36 weeks of gestation with no previous children and 562 mothers of children <3 years old.

SETTING: Maternal and child health centres in eight cities of Italy.

RESULTS: Advertisements of formula (n=89) represented about 7\% of all advertisements in the three magazines, the majority (58\%) being for follow-on formula. Advertisements were parent-oriented, aimed at helping parents solve health problems of their babies or at eliciting good feelings, or both. The qualitative interviews to pregnant women showed inability to define the advertised products at first glance due to the ambiguity of the numeral 2 and the presumed age of the portrayed baby; this inability did not disappear after carefully viewing the advertisements and reading the text. When asked in the self-administered questionnaires whether they had ever come across advertisements of infant formula, 81\% of mothers reported that they had, despite the legal inexistence of such advertisements, and 65\% thought that it was for a product to be used from birth.

CONCLUSIONS: Advertisements of follow-on formula are perceived by pregnant women and mothers as promoting infant formula.

}, keywords = {Adult, Advertising as Topic, Attitude to Health, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant Formula, Italy, Mothers, Perception, Periodicals as Topic, Pregnancy, Pregnant Women, Reading, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult}, issn = {1468-2044}, doi = {10.1136/archdischild-2014-306996}, author = {Cattaneo, Adriano and Pani, Paola and Carletti, Claudia and Guidetti, Margherita and Mutti, Valentina and Guidetti, Cecilia and Knowles, Alessandra} } @article {1773, title = {Breastfeeding to 24 months of age in the northeast of Italy: a cohort study.}, journal = {Breastfeed Med}, volume = {6}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 Aug}, pages = {177-82}, abstract = {

AIM: This study assessed the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding up to 24 months and the associated socioeconomic determinants in a birth cohort of children.

METHODS: Four hundred infants born in a hospital in the north east of Italy were enrolled at birth and followed up for 36 months. Data on infant feeding were gathered through a feeding diary compiled at fixed intervals. Data were also gathered on type of delivery and weight, length, and health status at birth, as well as on selected socioeconomic indicators of the mothers. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine any association that exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding may have with selected socioeconomic variables and with health conditions of the infants at birth.

RESULTS: Ninety-eight percent of mothers initiated breastfeeding, 69\% of them exclusively. This rate, however, had declined to 6\% by 6 months. There was a remarkable endurance of breastfeeding at 24 months (12\%). The variables significantly associated with exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months and any form of breastfeeding at 12 months are mother{\textquoteright}s age (p=0.007 at 3 months, p=0.026 at 12 months) and postdischarge hospital admission (p=0.029 at 3 months).

CONCLUSIONS: In this population, breastfeeding rates are higher than previously reported, but lower than recommended, especially as far as exclusivity is concerned. Full implementation of the World Health Organization-UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiatives in hospitals and communities is needed to improve them further. Monitoring systems should include the collection of data on breastfeeding beyond 12 months of age.

}, keywords = {Adult, Age Factors, Birth Weight, Breast Feeding, Cohort Studies, Family Characteristics, Female, Gestational Age, Guideline Adherence, Health Promotion, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Italy, Neonatal Screening, Prevalence, Socioeconomic Factors, Time Factors}, issn = {1556-8342}, doi = {10.1089/bfm.2011.0019}, author = {Carletti, Claudia and Pani, Paola and Knowles, Alessandra and Monasta, Lorenzo and Montico, Marcella and Cattaneo, Adriano} }